Last But One OSCE AMG Official Departs Minsk :: Charter'97 :: News

Last political official of the OSCE Advisory-Monitoring Group left Minsk – first secretary of mission Megan Fitzgerald – over the expiration of her entry visa and diplomatic accreditation.

In Minsk mission the woman was placed in charge of one of the “OSCE baskets” – human rights, rule of law, freedom of faith and religious associations. In particular, she seriously worked on the new draft law on religion, “Interfax” was told in the mission.

The OSCE representatives said that the last remaining person in the AMG office having a diplomatic status is Alina Josan, responsible for administrative functions. Her accreditation expires in October.

Previously the Belarusian authorities denied prolongation of visa to the acting OSCE AMG heads Michele Rivolier and Andrew Carpenter. OSCE head of mission Hans-Georg Wieck left Belarus in December 2001.

In this connection the OSCE leadership called on Belarus to fulfill the commitments it bound itself with within the framework of this organization.

Meantime, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry deems that OSCE presence in Belarus must be a matter of deliberations at the OSCE Permanent Council’s meeting in Vienna, said on Thursday the FM press-secretary Pavel Latushko.